Review petition filed against SC decision annulling NAB law amendments
Pakistan
Petitioner Abdul Jabbar prayed the Supreme Court to “set aside its September 15 verdict”
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – A citizen has filed a review petition against the Supreme Court's (SC) decision to void amendments to the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) 1999.
Petitioner Abdul Jabbar, through his counsel, senior lawyer and PPP Senator Farooq H Naek on Friday prayed the SC to “set aside its September 15 verdict.”
He argued that he was not a party to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman's constitutional petition challenging amendments to the NAB law, but stands aggrieved by the verdict - refering particularly to the minimum pecuniary threshold of NAB which parliament set at Rs500 million.
The petitioner submitted that an accountability court sent a reference against him to anti-corruption court after NAB law amendment.
He has raised other points of law including the apex court's jurisdiction and the matter of fundamental rights. The petitioner argues that as the NAB law was enacted by parliament, it would be incumbent on parliament alone as to how and whether to amend the law.
The move comes a day after the federal government has decided to file a similar appeal against the SC verdict.
THE CASE
A three-member bench of the apex court on September 15 allowed former premier’s petition challenging amendments to the NAO 1999 by the Pakistan Democratic Movement's (PDM) coalition government and ordered restoration of corruption cases against public office holders that were withdrawn after the amendment.
The SC declared the amendments null and void.
The court, with a 2-1 majority ordered the reopening of all corruption cases worth less than Rs500 million that were previously closed against political leaders from various parties and public office holders.
The top court directed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to return all case records to the relevant courts within seven days.
The verdict also highlighted that the NAB amendments in question impacted the rights of the public as outlined in the Constitution.
The order was announced by former chief justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial in his final session before retirement.
